Lint flow equalizer



Aug 9, 1966 J. c. NEiTZEL ETAL,

LINT FLOW EQUALI ZER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1, 1964 ATTORNEY Aug.9, 1966 J. Q. NErrzEL ETAL 3,264,$

LINI FLOW EQUALIZER Filed July 1, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORSATTO/P/VEV United States Patent 3,264,689 LINT FLOW EQUALIZER Joseph C.Neitzel, Dallas, Tex., and Richard D. Day, Fresno, Caliii, assignors toThe Murray Company of Texas, Inc., Dallas, Tex., a corporation ofDelaware Filed July 1, 1964, Ser. No. 379,570 10 Claims. (Cl. 19-64.5)

This invention relates to cotton gin plant machinery and consists,particularly, in novel means to control the supply of lint to acondenser cylinder for causing the delivery by the cylinder of asubstantially uniform batt of optimum thickness.

In the usual cotton gin plant, the seed cotton passes in sequencethrough a feeder-extractor wherein hulls and some trash are removed, thegin stand wherein the lint and seeds are separated, one or more lintcleaners, and, finally, a tramper-baler wherein the cotton is formedinto tightly-pressed bales of uniform size and weight. Powered feedrolls at the entrance to the feeder-extractor control the rate of supplyof cotton to and through the gin stand in order to provide for mosteflicient action thereof. The lint is transported pneumatically from thegin stand to the lint cleaner or cleaners, an air-lint separatingcondenser being interposed in the pneumatic duct in advance of each lintcleaner, and from the lint cleaner to another condenser whence thefibers are passed down a slide to the tramper.

It is desirable that batts of lint fibers of predetermined thickness bedelivered by both condensers, in one case for optimum cleaning action ofthe lint and in the other case to insure proper formation of the bale.However, for various reasons, it is necessary, from time to time, forthe operator to vary the speed of the feeder rolls at the entrance tothe feeder-extractor, for instance, to reduce or increase thecompactness of material in the seed roll to the gin stand so as toinsure proper quality of the ginned lint. This tends to vary thethickness of the batt delivered to the lint cleaning parts, unless thefeed to the latter is adjusted accordingly. The condenser roll and otherfeed elements incorporated in the lint cleaner are provided with speedcontrols, and the operator should adjust these in coordination withchanges in the speed of the feed rolls in the feeder-extractor. Inpractice, it has been customary for operators to simply set the feedingelements of the lint cleaner at the fastest rate which it iscontemplated will be required. This, necessarily, results in asubstantially varied thickness of the batt delivered to the lintcleaning saws and consequent variation in the efficiency of the cleaningaction which depends upon the maintenance of an optimum thickness of thebatt.

In the case of the battery condenser provided in advance of thetramper-baler unit, variation of the thickness of the batt delivered tothe tramper will result when different numbers of gin stands are inoperation. For instance, when the supply of seed cotton justifiesoperation of only one or two gin stands, a thinner batt will be doffedfrom the battery condenser than when a larger number of gin stands is inope-ration, unless the battery condenser is manually adjustedcorrelatively.

An object of the present invention is to provide novel means foraccurately controlling the rate of supply of lint to a condensercylinder so as to maintain an optimum thickness of the batt deliveredtherefrom.

A more detailed object is to control the thickness of batt delivered bya condenser cylinder by correlatively controlling the operating speedsof the cylinder and the means of supplying lint to the cylinder.

Another object is to jointly control the operating rates of thecondenser and feeder elements of a lint cleaner unit in relation to thespeed of the feed rollers in the seed 3,254,689 Patented August 9, 1966cotton feeder section of the machinery, thus insuring optimum cleaningaction on the fibers.

Still another object is to provide coordinated control of the batterycondenser and the gin stands so as to insure a rate of operation of thebattery condenser which corresponds in general with the quantity of lintsupplied thereto.

In accordance with the present invention, the usual speed adjustment forthe feed rolls in the feeder-extractor is connected to the feedingelements in the lint cleaner in such a way as to jointly control thespeeds of these latter elements and thereby maintain a batt of optimumthickness exposed to the lint cleaner. There is also provided a jointcontrol between the several gin stands usually incorporated in the plantand the driving motor for the battery condenser whereby the operatingspeed of the battery condenser increases and decreases as the number ofgins in operation increases and decreases for insuring the delivery of arelatively uniform batt to the tramper-baler.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view and sectional representation of afeeder-extractor and gin stand assembly;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of a lint cleaner for receiving lint from thegin stand;

FIG. 3 is a schematic top view and section illustrating several parts ofa multi-gin plant with control circuitry;

FIG. 4 is a vertical transverse section illustrating a battery condenseras used in the plant; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic perspective illustrating the jointfeeder-cleaner control.

The main units of machinery embodied in the gin plant as shown are thefeeder-extractor A, the gin stand B, the lint cleaner C, the batterycondenser D, and the tramperbaler E. One or more of the cleaner units Cmay be provided. Mounted in the inlet 7 of the feeder-extractor unit Aare a pair of feed rollers 8 and 9 powered by a motor 10, in this caseelectric, although a hydraulic motor may be used, through chain drives11 and 12. The seed cotton is fed between rollers 8 and 9 past a hullbreaker 17 and various cylinders 18, 19 and 20 to a delivery chute 21.

Chute 21 delivers into the front or breast portion 22 of the gin standunit B which is pivoted at 23 to the framing of the gin stand. Means(not shown) are provided for rocking the front about pivot 23 to placethe gin, respectively, into and out of operation, as is well known. Thefront structure carries huller ribs 24 and ginning ribs 25 which areassociated in the usual manner with saws 26. A front scroll sheet 27,forming an extension of the huller ribs, and a rear scroll sheet 28 forma seed roll chamber 29. The gin saws are mounted on a powered shaft 31.An air dotfer 32 removes the lint from the gin saws and delivers itthrough ducts 33 and 34 to the lint cleaner unit C.

Rotatably mounted within a hood 35 in the upper part of the lint cleaneris a condenser cylinder 39 carried by a powered shaft 40. The shaft andcondenser cylinder are driven by an electric motor 44 through drivechains 45 and 46 and suitable sprocket wheels as shown. Motor 44 ismounted on a pad 47 provided on the framing of the lint cleaner. Theinterior of cylinder 39 communicates through a pipe 48 with a source ofsuction. Immediately beneath cylinder 39 are dofling rollers 49 and 50,and immediately beneath these rollers is a feed roller 51 adjacent thefeed bar 52. Doffing rollers 49 and 50 and feed roller 51 are alljointly operated with condenser 39 by motor 44. Motor 44 is providedwith speed control mechanism symbolized at 53.

A saw cylinder 55 catches the fibrous batt 56 delivered between feedroller 51 and feed bar 52 and carries the lint 3 clockwise beneath gridbars 58 which provide well-known cleaning action. The cleaned lint isdoffed by a brush cylinder 59 which is jointly powered at a uniformspeed with saw cylinder 55 and independently of feeding elements 39, 69,50 and 51 by means of a motor 60 and.

drive chains 61 and 62. The doifed lint is then delivered through piping63 to a second cleaner or to lint flue 64. FIG. 3 shows a series ofthree feeder-gin-lint cleaner sets, designated F, G and H, all of whichdeliver through the common lint flue or duct 64 to battery condenser D.

The battery condenser unit D, best shown in FIG. 4, includes the usualperforate cylinder 69 rotatably mounted on a shaft 70 powered by a motor71 (FIG. 3) through a.

merals as in FIG. 1 are applied to set F. The gin stands.

are provided with control devices 80, 81 and 82 which function to placethe gins in operation. Usually, this is achieved by moving the ginfronts in and out so as to shift the seed roll into and out of operativerelationship with respect to the gin saws. Also, each feeder unit A isprovided with a feed roll control 83 having a manualadjustment 83aconnected by wires 84 and 85, respectively, to drive motor for feedrollers 8 and 9 and to drive motor 44 for the feeding elements 39,49, 50and 51 of the lint cleaner. Thus, all of these feeding elements arejointly controlled in each feeder gin stand-lint cleaner assembly so asto maintain a desired thickness of batt 81 on condenser cylinder 39.Only one wire is shown running to each motor in the interest of clarityand simplicity, it being understood that a return wire or groundnecessarily will be provided for each motor and control.

In FIG. 3, the wires of a power source are shown at 88' and92,including, respectively, switches 93, 94 and 95 to gin stand controls80, 81, and 82 whereby the gin stands may be placed in operationserially or in any grouping. Switches 93, 94 and 95 also. control drivemotor 71 for the battery condenser through wires 96, 97 and 98 and amotor speed control unit 99 arranged so that the operating speed of thebattery condenser cylinder I increases as the number of gins inoperation increases I and vice versa.

Inoperation, the operator, initially, will place one or more of the ginstands in operation by means of switches 93, 94 and 95 which, at thesame time, insure correlated operation of the battery. condensercylinder for maintaining the. proper thickness of batt 74 thereon and soas to insure the proper formation of the bale in unit E. Each gin isthen controlled, through its individual control .83

connected to feed rolls8 and 9 of the associated feederextractor, formaintaining the desired loose seed roll in chamber 29. The condition ofthe seed roll may be felt by the operator from time to time, and thefeed rolls 8 and 9 adjusted accordingly, or the feed rolls may beprovided with a suitable automatic control 101 which senses a change incurrent flow to a main gin powering motor and,

therefore, the condition of the seed roll. Acopending application in thenames of Joseph C. Neitzel and James A. Nelson, Serial No. 212,585,filed July 26, 1962, now Patent No. 3,177,529, discloses and claims suchan autoand 89. One power line 88 is connected by wires 90, 91

Contrary to present practice, it will not be necessary ers 8 and 9 ischanged, since these rollers, as well'as feeding elements,39, 49, 50 and51 of :the lint cleaner, driven by motor44, ;are jointly controlled bythe control device 83. Thus, a substantially uniformbatt 56 of desiredthickness is delivered to saw cylinder 55 of the lint cleaner whichinsures optimum cleaning action and quality of delivered cotton.

FIG. 5 shows in schematic detail an exemplary form of joint feeder andlint cleanercontrol. A pair of coupled potentiometers 85 and 86 areprovided in casing 83. Potentiometer 83 is connected by .wires 84 tofeeder. actuating motor 10 and its slider needle 87 is coupled, as at88,'to slider needle 89. of; potentiometer 86 connected by wires 85 tolint cleaner motor 44. The operator may adjust potentiometer -85 bymeans of knob 83a to vary thespeed of the feeder motor from zero tomaximum, rotating needle 87 inits full range, between stops 90 and 91in' doing so. However, needle .89 of potentiometer is adjusted so thatits corresponding full rangeis only between stops 92 and 93 limitingadjustment of the cleaner feed elements between predetermined minimum:and maximum speeds. Preferably, the cleaner feed will con-. tinue.operating at minimum speed,,even when feed rollers Sand 9 are=-StOPPSCLitO continue, processing lint which may be delivered by the;gin.

While .electricmotors have been shown, particularly at 6 for driving thefeed rollers 8 and 9, hydraulic motors may be substituted,and,-in thatcase,,suitable speed controls therefor will be provided. Moreover, the.exact constructions of the various units of machinery may be varied,and suitable circuitry will be provided to achieve the ends outlined.Exclusive use is contemplated of. all modifications as come within thescope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a cotton gin:plant, in combination, a pneumatic duct fortransporting cotton, cotton supply and processing apparatus,respectively, at the entrance and outlet of said duct, a perforatewalled condenser roll interposed in said duct for separating thepneumatic air from the cotton therein, dofling means for. removingcottonain batt form from the exterior of said roll and delivering it tosaid processing apparatus, individual powering meansfor said cottonsupply apparatus and said condenser, roll, and joint. means to vary theoperating rates of said supply apparatusand said condenser roll'tomaintain the supply of a battof, desired thickness to-said processingapparatus.

2. :The combination described in claim 1 in which said cottonsupplyapparatus comprises one or more gin and supply apparatus comprises, acotton gin and further including lint cleaning meanspositionedto receivethe lint batt from said condenser roll.

5. The combination described in claim 1 further including a plurality ofcondenser rolls receiving lint from said gin .and ;lint.cleaner-meansreceiving batt cotton 2 fromeach of said rolls, said joint meanscontrolling the operating rates of said cotton supply and processing;apparatus and said condenser-rolls- 6.. In' a gin plant, a plurality ofsets of feeding, ginning, lint cleaning, and. tramper-baling unitsarranged successively in each set, a pneumatic duct connecting all ofsaid lint cleaning and tramper-baling units, a perforatewall batterycondenser roll interposed in said duct for separating the pneumatic airfrom the cotton therein,

of desired thickness to said tramper-baler unit as thenumber offeeder-gin-cleaner sets in operation varies.

7. The combination described in claim 6 further including batt guiderolls associated with said dofling means and jointly powered with saiddoffing means and said condenser roll.

8. The combination with a gin stand, a feeder, lint cleaner equipment,pneumatic duct means for transmitting lint from said gin stand to saidcleaner equipment, perforate-Wall condenser roll apparatus interposed insaid duct means, and dofiing means for removing lint from said rollapparatus and delivering the lint in batt form to said cleanerequipment, of coordinate means to vary the operating speed of saidfeeder to maintain optimum quality of lint delivered to said duct meansby said gin stand and coincidentally varying the operational rates ofsaid condenser roll apparatus and said dofling means to maintain battcotton of desired thickness delivered to said cleaner equipment.

9. The combination described in claim 8 in which said cleaner equipmentincludes saw cylinder means positioned to intercept the batt cottondelivered by said dofiing means and grid bars located adjacent theperiphery of said cylinder means.

10. The combination described in claim 8 in which said cleaner equipmentcomprises a saw cylinder, grid bars adjacent the periphery of sawcylinder, dofling rolls, and means for powering said cylinder and saiddofling rolls independently of said condenser roll apparatus and saiddofiing means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,032,830 5/1962Van Doorn et al. 1955 X MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

P. C. FAW, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A COTTON GIN PLANT, IN COMBINATION, A PNEUMATIC DUCT FORTRANSPORTING COTTON, COTTON SUPPLY AND PROCESSING APPARATUS,RESPECTIVELY, AT THE ENTRANCE AND OUTLET OF SAID DUCT, A PERFORATEWALLED CONDENSER ROLL INTERPOSED IN SAID DUCT FOR SEPARATING THEPNEUMATIC AIR FROM THE COTTON THEREIN, DOFFING MEANS FOR REMOVING COTTONIN BATT FORM FROM THE EXTERIOR OF SAID ROLL AND DELIVERING IT TO SAIDPROCESSING APPARATUS, INDIVIDUAL POWERING MEANS FOR SAID COTTON SUPPLYAPPARATUS AND SAID CONDENSER ROLL,